(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge” [III/IV] February 2026

Last month's output was largely dominated by "Games Workshop" and "Wargames Foundry"

Sadly there can be little doubt then when compared to some of my past January outputs, the last four weeks have proved pretty disappointing productivity wise. Indeed, I didn't manage to pigment even half of what I achieved just a couple of years ago in 2023. Having said that though, a lot of time was lost due to a slow start, and currently my enthusiasm for the hobby is so strong - especially for "Wargames Foundry" and their Napoleonic range, that I fully expect to make up some ground throughout February.

In addition, I've temporarily postponed a couple of new projects I had begun to 'scratch away' at, in favour of firmly focusing upon my Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) and making far more in-roads towards my target tally for that. Last year I managed to finally finish 246 points worth of semi-completed figures, and was planning to better that this time round. However, having just past my personal challenge's half-way stage, I've only got 119 points tabletop ready - so have set aside my plans for Napoleonic cavalry and cannon units (some of which have literally just arrived through my letter box), and swapped them out for a sizeable selection of already-based Austrian Fusiliers, Moscow Militiamen and Frenchmen marching in greatcoats.

"In military operations, hours determine success and campaigns."

To get things off with something of a bang I have finally managed to get a coat of "Vallejo" Matt Varnish on an eighth skirmisher I have had loitering around my painting desk for quite some while. Found inside the “Wargames Foundry" blister FN054 - Light Infantry Chasseurs Advancing, the miniature Frenchman was undercoated using a little "Vallejo" Surface Primer Black and "Citadel" Abaddon Black, before having his uniform/cuffs layered in "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade.

The soldier's various leather straps were treated to some White Star by "Two Thin Coats", before being 'weathered' with some watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Furthermore, I 'picked out' all of his extra details, using colours such as as "Vallejo" Heavy Green and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green for the man's epaulettes and sabre-briquet ribbons, "Vallejo" Sombre Grey and "Citadel" Nuln Oil on his bedroll, and "Two Thin Coats" White, Skulker Yellow, and "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade for the Frenchman's helmet plume.

January 2026 - "Blood Bowl", Napoleonic Soldiers and Super-Heroes dominate the current chart

Alongside my burgeoning Black Powder collection, I am also planning on working through a number of primed "Crooked Dice Game Design Studio" models I've had lurking in a drawer beside me for many a month. Whether this encourages to return to the company's skirmish ruleset "7TV" I don't know. But there's a good chance many of the figures will make an appearance on my "Silver Bayonet" tabletop as I primarily use Karl Perrotton's miniatures for any encounters my warband might have with wandering monsters, the Undead or musket-carrying bandits.

Lastly, I'm still very much in the mood for producing various items of scenery with my "Bambu Lab" A1 Mini, and am quietly working away in the background on some of the terrific terrain I received as free STL (Standard Triangle Language) files from "Steamforged Games" as part of their Warmachine 3D: Gravediggers release in April 2025. I've also got a bit of a backlog building courtesy of "Saucermen Studios" and their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. So expect to see a fair few Whether ruined walls, trench systems, bunkers, towers and concrete barricades appearing over the coming months.

"The Negh'Var Was Intended To Represent The Most Powerful Ship..."

"...In the Klingon fleet as Gowron's flagship."

This Kurgun C4-A Light Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

The spacecraft was primed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and shaded with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then enthusiastically dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before 'picking out' its warp nacelle and (forward-facing) antimatter-based photon torpedo launcher with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

"Target Games" WIPs - A pair of Cybertronic Machinators

In addition to bulking out my Kurgun Fleet, I have dusted down a pair of old metal Cybertronic Machinators by "Target Games". I actually began pigmenting this duo over five years ago, but believe I actually bought them at the turn of the Third Millennium - meaning they've been sat in my Pile of Potential for approximately twenty five years old. I know very little about the Cybertronic Corporation to be honest, apart from these particular robots essentially being pretty much fodder on the battlefield.

At the time I bought them I was infinitely more invested in the now out-of-print Collectible Card Game "Doomtrooper" - which was also based upon the Mutant Chronicles franchise, rather than the Swedish company's Warzone figures. However, having had a good rummage through my backlog, I've found I own quite a sizeable number of models from the range - so thought I might see if I can quickly produce a handful of combatants aside for a little homebrew skirmish game.

"Loot Studios" WIPs - This multi-part 3D print of a Megalodon has been assembled and primed

I am also clearly still in something of "Vallejo" Sombre Grey mood, having recently chosen the Game Color Paint for all my "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" concrete barricades by "Saucermen Studios", so have started slapping some of it onto my Megalodon by "Loot Studios". This absolute monster of a multi-part predator was rather embarrassingly all 3D-printed around this time last year, and sadly lead to the demise of my poor "Elegoo" Mars 3 Pro whilst I was producing the giant fish's middle torso.

I had intended to use the prehistoric shark for a simple set of homebrew rules featuring deep-sea divers battling it across a sea-themed tabletop populated with small islands. Indeed, I actually finished both its separately based fin and tail. However, despite visiting a couple of wargaming shows last year, I simply couldn't find anyone selling the tiny land masses I had in mind for the 'seascape'. Now though, I can easily produce my own on my "Bambu Labs" A1 Mini, so the project is very much on again...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge” [II/IV] January 2026

Last month's output ranged from spacecraft to spacemen, and even a small bit of terrain

Having already completed a quarter of my latest Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) I thought I'd spend the next four or so weeks focusing upon a number of 28mm plastic soldiers produced by "Warlord Games" - which frankly have been gathering dust on my shelves for far too many months. The majority of these figures will be World War Two Italians, as having bought the Nottingham-based company's "Bolt Action" Third Edition rulebook, as well downloaded their Italy Army List [dated September 2024], I thought I might finally finish a force of Benito Mussolini's fascists I've previously assembled, based and undercoated.

In addition, I couldn't resist recently picking up a copy of Issue 454 of "Wargames Illustrated" as it had a sprue of US Firefly Jump Infantry 'cello-taped' to its front cover. In the past I've experimented with "Konflikt '47" using my quite considerably-sized collection of "Secrets Third Reich" miniatures by "West Wind Productions". But never got on with that range's Jet Soldiers - finding the sculpts significantly smaller than the rest of my models. So thought I might try the 'official' figures for a change, and maybe even pick up half-a-dozen Axis Stahltruppen Heavy Infantry as opposition if the mood takes me.

"Warlord Games" WIPs - Three of the six US Firefly Jump Infantry I've assembled for "Konflikt '47"

I'm also eager to continue working on the brood of Zeek Scuttlers by "Artisan Guild" I have produced using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer. With my unit of Burrowers now finished and ready to represent a Tidal Swarm for the Trident Realm Of Neritica in "Kings Of War", I plan to get both my army's leader and a couple of basic infantry units completed 'toot sweet.'

Lastly, I haven't forgotten how badly my Napoleonic project has started floundering in recent times. I was fully expecting to have doubled the number of French skirmishers and Russian militia I could field over the past few weeks. However, disappointingly I haven't finished a single one, and now enter a year in which I had planned to solely focus upon cavalry units rather than (more) infantry. As a result I hope to get the eight outstanding soldiers finished as soon as I can, and then potentially look at only doing a handful of horsemen before plunging back to more muskets and bayonets.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Napoleonic French skirmisher is now close to competition

There can be little doubt that my productivity over the past few months has been somewhat low when compared to my output of previous years. To be fair a lot of this has been down to the sheer variety of miniatures currently available to me - something which has caused me to leap from one manufacturer to another with little rhyme or reason. The number of STL (Standard Triangle Language) files I now own in embarrassingly high and means I now spend a lot of my hobby time tinkering with my 3D printers rather than actually putting a brush-tip on a model.

Somewhat disconcertingly I don't see that changing any time soon either, as I have now started printing and painting scenery too - something I've always tried to avoid in the past. Of particular note has to be the numerous pieces of scenery I just acquired from "Saucermen Studios" via their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. Whether it be ruined walls, trench systems, bunkers, towers or concrete barricades, I am currently slowly producing as much of this stuff as my "Bambu Lab" A1 Mini can cope with - and then I'll be moving onto another terrain project concerning various sewers, dungeons and pyramids following the success of "Death x Tiles: The Lost Temple" campaign by "Cast N Play"...

Top Ten Miniatures Of 2025 - A "Rantings From Under The Wargames Table" Viewpoint

It’s that time again folk’s, when once a year Simon lets me play fast and loose with his blog and pick what are in my opinion the ten best miniatures he has painted in 2025. Each year this gets harder to do as there is just so much good stuff to choose from. So without further ado let’s get stuck in to the real stars of the show…the miniatures.

No. 10 - Plague Lord by “Mantic Games” - November 18th

If you're only an occasional visitor to this blog you could be forgiven for thinking it’s all just 28mm stuff. But regulars will be more aware that Simon does tend to “dip his toe” into other scales as well, and a perfect example of this are these smashing 10mm scale versions of Mantic Games' “First Generation Plague Lord” figures. Now I have the 28mm version of a figure very similar to this, and I have to say my painting of that is no more detailed than this tiny rendition - truly outstanding stuff!

No. 9 - Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms by “Wargames Foundry” - November 10th

Simon’s continued efforts within his Napoleonic project cannot help but be admired. As something I flirted with many years back I am well aware of how taxing and soul destroying gazing upon rows and rows of intricate infantry can be, so each time another of his perfectly pigmented Napoleonic protagonists appears on his blog I have to tip my hat both to his exceeding good paintwork, and his resilience. I chose this British line infantry soldier for the Top Ten, as he sums up perfectly both the period and quality Simon has put into it.

No. 8 - Falklands British Infantry by “Pendraken Miniatures” - August 30th

More British infantry at the number eight spot too. Though this time we jump forward over a hundred years and down a scale or two, with these sublime versions of troops dispatched to the Falkland Islands during the 1982 conflict. Painting 10mm figures looks easy, but I know from experience that to get results as good as this requires a lot of skill and a steady hand to pick-out all the details - something that has been done with real aplomb here.

No. 7 - Dalek by “Black Tree Designs” - February 24th

Daleks. The scourge of the universe! Who doesn’t love a Dalek? Well basically anyone who has to paint them. It’s the domes that are the killer, and of course there are so many of them too - fifty six in fact! And they all have to be perfect. Luckily the ones on show here are as is the classic dark grey colour scheme made popular by “Genesis of the Daleks”. I have great admiration for a well painted Dalek, and Simon’s are some of the best I’ve seen.

No. 6 - Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser by “Fat Dragon Games” – September 24th

Always one to cut his own path when it comes to starting a new project, Simon decided to do some “Star Trek” universe gaming, But rather than use “Official” miniatures he found some that though conveying the flavour of the original television series, were in my opinion much cooler looking! This was never more evident than in this version of a Klingon Heavy Cruiser. The ship's design is awesome, and the dark green colour scheme is both alien and menacing in equal measure. Absolute top work!

No. 5 - Gell Guard 2 by “Black Tree Designs” - January 20th

Well I was mightily impressed with the painting of this miniature (and the other two also painted about the same time) - both when they appeared for the first time, and again when I set about compiling this Top Ten. But it was when I saw the actual episodes of Doctor Who it appears in again this week on “U& Eden”, due to them re-showing "The Three Doctors" over the festive period, that I was struck by just how incredibly accurate Simon’s rendition is. Seriously 'Google it' and be amazed! I like my figures to be finished with a matt varnish, whereas Simon prefers a gloss finish and I have to say it works a treat on these guys. They could have glided straight out of the story. Beautifully done!

No. 4 - Retained Knight by "Alternative Armies" - May 30th

I’ve already mentioned my admiration for Simon’s ability to find alternatives to official figures to play games with, and perhaps my favourite version of this is his 15mm take on “Warhammer 40K” using miniatures from Alternative Armies “Ion Age” range. Figures for this project have made my Top Ten before in previous years. But this “Special Character” clad in gold with “Blood Angels” red accents was just too good to pass over this year, and has again got me perusing the “Alternative Armies” website!

No. 3 - Andre the Giant by “Hasbro” - September 4th

Though the classic era of the World Wrestling Federation “WWF” passed me by, I did of course know who all the main players were as they were pretty much household names and popular toys at the time. And it was the “toy like” appearance of this lovely figure that really spoke to me. This is hardly a surprise as he was scaled down to just (just?) 70mm tall by Simon, but still a massive figure by our standards. The painting is of course up to Simon’s normal high standards and even more impressive due to the increased height of the model. It really brings the character's oversized personality to wonderful life.

No. 2 - Korg by “CoolMiniorNot” - July 7th

If you like your superheroes  “Chibi” style then you’ve come to the right place, as there have been many super (pardon the pun) large headed versions of all your Marvel favourites appearing on this blog over the last twelve months. Indeed, it was our mutual love of all things “Superhero” that originally brought Simon, myself and our respective blogs together in the first place. Resultantly, it would just be so wrong of me not to include at least one of this genre in my Top Ten list, and it was a difficult choice too as they have all been so good. But the absolute perfection in colour palette and execution of Korg, along I admit with him being a favourite character of mine, just edged him above the rest.

No. 1 - Bat Sentry by “Wizkids” - December 12th

So we come to the top of the tree, the big kahuna as it were, and what I hear you ask could keep the beautifully painted miniatures above from the Number One spot? Well strangely enough I did put a Batmobile in my Top Ten last year. But this is on a whole new level! The Batmobile/Bat Sentry is a sort of “Transformer” that I didn’t even know existed until I read Simon's post (see you learn stuff here as well as basking in the lovely painted miniatures!). Of course I’ve waxed lyrical about his exceptional skill with black coloured miniatures before, and that is on show in spades here too, contrasting to perfection with the radiant yellow Bat symbol that fair glows upon its chest, as well as the red menacing eyes. Then add in the dark metallic’s on the joints and accents, and you have what looks like a simple black miniature, but is in fact covered in small yet important details. Like good movie music it is there but it don’t shout, just subtly enhances the whole viewing experience. Absolutely gorgeous, and a perfect example of Simon’s work, this is my number one of 2025!

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So there you go, ten wonderful miniatures from a blog full of wonderful miniatures, and if you follow the links some damn fine reading as well! So grab a cup (or glass) of your tipple of choice and go back to enjoy a year’s worth of great blogging. It’ll get you in the mood for all the wonder that is no doubt to come over the next twelve months. If you want to read some good writing and see some not so good miniatures, then you can check out Simon’s take of my last two years work (yes I’ve been much less prolific than him I’m afraid) here…

https://rantingsfromunderthewargamestable.wordpress.com/

All that leaves me to do is first off thank Simon once again for letting me “tend his baby” for a night. I hope I haven’t turned away too many of his followers, and of course to wish all of you out there in blog-land the very best New Year. I hope all your endeavours, be them gaming or otherwise, are as successful as you wish, and the year proves to be healthy, safe, successful and secure for us all.

Cheers Roger.

"An Immersive Set Of Modular Terrain..."

"...For Grimdark Trench Warfare."

This Concrete Defence Wall was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and was produced by "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. The smaller of two similarly themed cement-based barricades in the range, it has been printed using a 0.4mm nozzle, with a 0.14mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished product.

The model was initially undercoated using "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, and subsequently base layered with a coat of the somewhat darker Sombre Grey. I then applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Gunmetal over the barricade's reinforced viewpoint, and later sploshed the entire piece of terrain with plenty of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Saucermen Studios" - This Concrete Defence Wall has had all its spikes and emblems coated with "Citadel" Abaddon Black and "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna

I next patiently dry-brushed all the concrete with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and the metal plate with (more) Gunmetal. I also applied a few drops of Extreme Rust Wash by "Mig Productions" to the bolts holding the armour sheet in place to hopefully suggest some wear and tear. Lastly, I gave both the spikes and crosses a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, before 'picking' them out with a little Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

As I'm now reasonably happy with this palette, I have perhaps unsurprisingly started working on the second, and significantly longer, Concrete Defence Wall which "Saucermen Studios" produce. Like its smaller 'brother-in-arms' this barricade will be free-standing rather than based, and despite its size should prove reasonably straightforward to complete as it doesn't have any steel plates bolted around its windows.

"A transport ship or ferry was a limited role starship."

Lastly, I have completed a second Terran Small Transport vessel by "Fat Dragon Games", which was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. Available as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", the spacecraft was printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

The miniature was primed using "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh, washed with some slightly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) Rakarth Flesh. In addition, I decided to 'pick out' its propulsion unit using a base layer of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and then a splash of "Citadel" Talassar Blue...

"The Bureaucratic Mentality Is The Only Constant In The Universe."

"We'll get a freighter."

This Terran Small Transport vessel is by "Fat Dragon Games", and was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer. It can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file as part of the company's Expansion Set Three for "Battlefront Valkyrie", and has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

Initially I was simply going to use the same "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey colour scheme on the tiny freighter as I use on all my (not) Federation starships. However, I thought it might be nice to make the spacecraft stand out a little more from my fleet, so decided upon a double helping of "Citadel" Rakarth Flesh as an undercoat instead.

"Saucermen Studios" WIPs - Having initially primed this Concrete Defence Wall with "Vallejo" Neutral Grey, I've now decided to re-paint it using Sombre Grey instead

The miniature was then washed with some slightly watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed with (more) Rakarth Flesh to help bring out all its details. Finally, its propulsion unit was 'picked out' using my tried and tested combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

With so straightforward a paint-job completed, I have managed to find some time to almost finish pigmenting my test piece for some planned games of "Trench Crusade" in 2026. This small Concrete Defence Wall is made by "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter, and is one of several pieces from the range which I've had my A1 Mini busily producing.

"Wizkids" WIPs - Despite some issues the Black Canary is close to completion

As the model is terrain - and they'll doubtless be a fair few pieces littering my tabletop - I am working on a reasonably simple palette which should be fairly quick to apply, but also still look quite effective. Unlike the vast majority of the buildings etc I paint, I am also not planning on basing a lot of these fortifications on plastic or MDF stands, as their footprints would clearly require several bespoke, irregularly-shaped bases to be specially made for them. 

Lastly, I've made a bit more progress on my "Heroclix" miniature of the Black Canary by "Wizkids". To be honest, now my initial enthusiasm for this particular member of the Justice League has subsided, I'm finding her a little tough to keep picking up due to the sheer lack of detail on the sculpt. I'm not sure if it's simply a bad figure, an overly thick pre-paint job, or a combination of both. But it's proving quite difficult to ascertain what parts of poor Dinah Laurel Lance are costume, and what's not...

"The Larval Stage Of The Scuttler..."

"...Burrowers crawl low on six chitinous limbs, their bodies pressed close to the ground."

This 32mm scale Zeek Burrower is produced by "Artisan Guild", and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 5 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file for the figure comes as part of the company's October "Guildhall" subscription release, and represents an immature Zeek Scuttler.

According to their creator Andrea Tarabella these insectoid-shaped creatures are constantly building "a growing mound of stolen treasures" from those who reside within the Scourgelands, and are foolish enough not to protect their property. However, I plan to use them to represent the Trident Realm Of Neritica for "Kings Of War" by "Mantic Games", and have resultantly been pigmenting a trio of these younglings to represent a Tidal Swarm.

"Fat Dragon Games" WIPs - Two small Cargo ships and a Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser  

The figure was therefore super-glued onto a 40mm circular base and primed with plenty of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. It was then drenched in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, and dabbed with a little "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green so as to create the illusion of algae sticking to the crab-like creature's limbs and lower carapace. These areas was later blended in with a second dry-brush of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown.

For the creature's top-most carapace I applied a couple of coats of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, shaded the chitinous armour in "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. The Zeek's eyes were subsequently picked out with a little Skulker Yellow by "Two Thin Coats" and washed with a small amount of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade. Finally, the entire model was treated to a heavily watered-down layer of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to help smooth down all of the dry-brushing.

"Saucermen Studios" WIPs - One of two Concrete Defence Walls currently being painted

With my KoW Tidal Swarm now two-thirds completed, I had intended to move on to finishing some of the remaining Soviet Cosmonauts I have left over from an impulsive stretch using my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer. Somewhat disconcertingly though I have now developed a real love of producing spaceships and terrain with my "Bambu Labs" A1 Mini 3D printer instead - in particular I have utilised my .2mm nozzle and churned out another Kurgun vessel along with a couple of small cargo craft by "Fat Dragon Games" from their "Battlefront Valkyrie" range.

In addition, with my .4mm hot-end fitted, I've begun merrily manufacturing the first pieces of scenery I recently received from "Saucermen Studios" as part of their "Beyond The Trenches Of Despair" Kickstarter. Clearly aimed at fans of "Trench Crusade", I have printed/primed one of their impressive Concrete Defence walls, with the intention of creating a suitably-sized collection of terrain pieces for some future science fiction battles...

(Lead) Mountain Musings - "Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge" [I/IV] December 2025

Painting output for November 2025

Having had a rather lack-lustre November where I was much more focused upon 3D printing more miniatures than actually getting any paint on them, I thought I had better knuckle down for the following month and begin my annual Partially-Painted/Printed Pledge (PPPP) -  a seventeen week long personal challenge to pigment as much of my unfinished backlog as I can. Last year I only managed to whittle away at half of the models I had planned to pigment - attaining a total of just 246 points using my tried and tested productivity scoring system. So this time round I have a target to beat. 

First in the firing line are a number of 32mm Soviet Cosmonauts (and a couple of NASA Astronauts) by "Black Site Studios" which I produced on my "Elegoo" Mars 5 3D printer for their "Lunar" skirmish game. Rather embarrassingly, all of these figures should have finished by now, so I aim to get the vast majority of them tabletop ready toot sweet. In addition, I aim to play a few games featuring the models in order to test out my homebrew Moonscape rules based upon "The Silver Bayonet" by "Osprey Publishing". This always helps refuel my enthusiasm for a project, so I'm hoping it will help re-energise this one too.

"Artisan Guild" WIPs - These Zeek Scuttlers have all been primed using "Vallejo" Heavy Brown

In addition, I really want to get cracking on a number of Zeek Scuttlers I recently printed to use for "Kings Of War" by "Mantic Games". I'll be adapting this race of insectoid thieves into some crab-like denizens so as to represent the Trident Realm Of Neritica, and am close to completing my predominantly brown-green colour scheme's test piece. A good percentage of my starting force - consisting of a leader with three infantry regiments and a swarm are already based ready for my paint-brush, so with any luck a number of these wonderfully-detailed STL (Standard Triangle Language) files will be fully varnished and flocked before the PPPP concludes.

Sticking with "Mantic Games" and 3D printing, I'm also hoping to knuckle down and get a fair few of the Nottingham-based manufacturer's Epic Warpath miniatures done. Perhaps unsurprisingly given how many of the 10mm models I can squeeze onto my Mars 5's build plate, I already face an almost overwhelming sea of grey resin soldiers, infected monsters and space dwarves. So I really need to get a fair few finished before I'm completely overwhelmed by them.

November 2025 - No change whatsoever with my favourite manufacturers of the year

Lastly, I still own an embarrassing number of unfinished Napoleonic Infantrymen by "Wargames Foundry" - many of which I first worked on over a year ago. This particular Black Powder project has fallen way behind schedule, and I now doubt I'll ever catch-up to where I wanted to be with it. However, next year I fully intend to get some cavalry units completed, and maybe the odd cannon crew too - both of which are needed to play Mike Lambo's "Battles of Napoleonic Europe: A Solitaire Wargame" properly.

My fingers are most definitely crossed that all these plans will help bolster my wargaming fruitfulness after the worst November I've experienced since I first began keeping a record of my hobby productivity over a decade ago. Of course, I wouldn't have minded too much if it was due to me being more busy playing than painting. But sadly that simply hasn't been the case...

"The Heavy Cruiser Is One Of The Few Starfleet Ship Designs..."

"...To have more than two nacelles."

This Terran C-6 Heavy Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The multi-piece starship has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

Quite interestingly the vessel also comes with a rig STL, which allows you to produce a docking bay of sorts that helps line up the spacecraft's rearmost engine with the hull. Unfortunately, I ended up originally placing my vessel's third warp nacelle back to front, so had to literally tear it off from its support to place it the right way round. Considering how quickly super-glue sets when using PLA this 'manoeuvre' caused quite a bit of damage to the 3D print, so I ended up attaching the piece in line with its fellow engines (as opposed to being a little behind them) so as to cover up my misdemeanour.

"Mantic Games" WIPs - These Plague Lords are having their blue armour 'picked out'

Happily, I don't think my error is too noticeable, even if you look underneath the spacecraft, and will either represent a prototype/refitted Heavy Cruiser, or perhaps a Federation-class dreadnought in my games. The mistake did though rather drastically dampen my enthusiasm for the range, and coupled with my recent preference for resin 3D printing over PLA, has caused my entire (not) "Star Trek" starship project to come to a rather abrupt halt - at least until now that is.

Like all of my other Terran vessels, the miniature was undercoated using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then patiently dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before 'picking out' all three of the warp nacelles on its propulsion units with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

"Games Workshop" WIPs - This Centurion has been base-layered, shaded and dry-brushed

Alongside my U.S.S. Federation I have continued to dabble with a trio of 10mm scale Plague Lords by "Mantic Games". I'm still currently in two minds as to whether I will support the Nottingham-based manufacturer's "Epic Warpath" Campaign on "My Mini Factory". But these fun little STLs are certainly swaying me, and I hope to also pigment a couple of Enforcer and Asterian test pieces too before I need to come to a decision.

Lastly, I've finally assembled the Centurion in MKII power armour that comes inside the "Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Saturnine" boxed set by "Games Workshop". Frankly, this was an absolute nightmare (not of my making) to assemble, and in the end I had to resort to relocating the model's Servo-skull simply to provide the space marine's back standard with some much-needed stability...

"The U.S. Space Program..."

 "...Grew out of the ashes of World War Two."

This 32mm NASA Astronaut is produced by "Black Site Studios" for their "Lunar" skirmish game, and was created using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on a Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. The STL (Standard Triangle Language) file comes as part of the company's Two-Player Digital Starter Set and represents the American faction's commander. carrying a Markam S11 pistol.

The spaceman was super-glued onto a "Citadel" 30mm circular stand, primed using "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue, drenched in "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade, and dry-brushed with (more) "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue. I then applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to a piece of insulation material running along the edge of the astronaut's backpack in order to slightly break up the monotony of the rocketeer's palette a little bit.

"Fat Dragon Games" WIPs - This Terran C-6 Heavy Cruiser is slowly being shaded

The astronaut's hand-weapon was simply based coated with Citadel "Abaddon Black", layered in "Vallejo" Gunmetal and later washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. Whilst his somewhat futuristically-shaped helmet visor was given a base layer of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. This area was subsequently treated to some "Vallejo" Gold, plenty of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade, and a final lick of (more) "Vallejo" Gold.

As I was planning on using this model as my U.S.A. force's leader, I thought I'd take advantage of his differently designed helmet by applying a couple of brush-tips full of White Star by "Two Thin Coats" across its top, and subsequently shading the area with some heavily watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. This probably wouldn't be the best of ideas in an actual fire-fight on the moon's surface. However, it should certainly make the gaming piece visible on the tabletop.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This British Grenadier is being painted from the boots up

Alongside my latest "Lunar" miniature I have also been working on a Terran C-6 Heavy Cruiser by "Fat Dragon Games". Created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer this multi-piece starship caused me a few issues whilst initially assembling it - due to user error - so has been sat gathering dust for while with nothing but a "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey undercoat covering it.

In addition, I am close to completing the last of my tiny, four-man unit of British Grenadiers using figures taken from the "Wargames Foundry" blister B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms. This remaining model still has a few details which require 'picking out' and shading. But now I've had my enthusiasm for all things Black Powder re-energised by Mike Lambo's solitaire wargame "Battles Of Napoleonic Europe", should be finished soon enough...

"The Red Coat Has Been The Iconic Symbol Of British Soldiery For Centuries..."

"...And even to this day remains an enduring part of the ceremonial dress of many British Army units."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their B041 Late Line Infantry Flank Company Shouldered Arms set. The figure is one of eight identical Napoleonic British soldiers sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and ultimately proved a real time-consuming challenge for me as I slowly worked out what colours I was going to apply to its considerable detail.

The miniature was primed using a couple of licks of "Two Thin Coats" White Star, and then had his boots, helmet and equipment all base-layered with "Citadel" Abaddon Black. With hindsight this was a bit of a mistake, as it seemingly took forever to 'pick out' all these details, and then go back and tidy up the white trousers etc. So in future I'll probably just undercoat the remaining Redcoats with "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

"In 2268, an asteroid threatened to collide with the planet Amerind." 

I also made the decision to pick a British unit who had red facings to help keep my palette a little simpler, and using my limited research chose to make the Grenadier a member of the 33rd "Wellington's Own" Regiment of Foot. This allowed me to pigment the entirety of the model's jacket in "Vallejo" Heavy Red, and then wash both the coat and trousers with some heavily-watered down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I next applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and "Citadel" Drakehnof Nightshade to the figure's water bottle, and a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to the chap's bag. In addition, I used a little "Vallejo" Neutral Grey on the miniature's blanket, and later darkened it down with a splash of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Black Site Studios" WIPs - These three "Lunar" 3D prints just need their equipment to be 'picked out'

In addition to my latest Napoleonic test piece I have also completed the last of my medium asteroids by "Fat Dragon Games". This serious chunk of space rock is included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set, and was produced using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer before being super-glued onto a 70mm round MDF base by "Warbases". 

The piece was primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, base-layered using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and gave the asteroid (and its base) a much lighter dry-brush of Heavy Bluegrey. Finally, the model's stand was washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and flocked with a little 2mm tall Chilli Red static grass so I could also use it as scatter terrain for any future Moon/Mars surface battles too...

"As The Klingons Are Portrayed As A Warrior Culture..."

"...The Empire is shown to use warships almost exclusively."

This Kurgun C3-A Heavy Cruiser was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece spacecraft has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model, and measures an impressive 80mm in length.

The vessel was initially undercoated using a couple of layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Green and shaded with "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green. I then carefully dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Green, before 'picking out' its warp nacelle and (forward-facing) antimatter-based photon torpedo launcher with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Flesh Tearers Red.

"The first Austrian grenadiers came into being in 1700."

Alongside the latest addition to my (not) Klingon Defence Force, I have finished two more Napoleonic Austrians by "Wargames Foundry". This pair of identical 28mm metal sculpts are from their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching blister and were primed using a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. I then applied a base layer of "Two Thin Coats" White Star to the majority of their uniforms, and weathered it with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I next applied a combination of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade to each elite infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks, before 'picking out' their water bottles and bayonets with some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

The Grenadiers' sabre hilts, scabbard tips, ammunition pouches and helmet plates were simply pigmented using a little "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and a dash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Lastly I added a smidgeon of "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to each model's head plume - in line with the colours used on the "Wargames Foundry" website. Both of these areas were later washed with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively.

"Knight Models" WIPs - This Killer Croc Thug is being painted from the boots up

Despite so much of my spare time being taken up with using my brush-tip lately, I have still managed to continue producing a fair few models using some "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 5 3D Printer, and "Knight Models" recent announcement that they were going to be releasing their "Batman Miniature Game" (BMG) range as STL (Standard Triangle Language) files has only helped increase my enthusiasm for this side-hobby. Indeed, I've already gone 'all-in' on their Gotham Lord Tribe on "My Mini Factory".

As a result I've been busy using both my aforementioned Mars 5 and A1 Mini to create a number of Gotham City's darker denizens, as well as their respective bases. To begin this 'unforeseen' project, I thought I'd tackle a Killer Croc Thug from The Joker’s crew. Now, I have no intention of actually playing the BMG itself - despite being sent the rulebook, cards, counters, tokens and scenery from the "extremely competitive skirmish" game's starter set as PDFs. But I did think I could (once again) utilise "The Silver Bayonet" or "Five Parsecs From Home" rules with some homebrew additions...

"The Grenadier Battalions Were Kept In Army Reserve..."

"...And used in decisive moments as a breakthrough force or to stabilize the wavering line."

This 28mm scale metal model is produced by “Wargames Foundry", and can be purchased as part of their AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching set. The figure is one of eight identical Napoleonic Austrian infantrymen sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry found in the blister, and didn't take quite as long to paint as I feared - once I'd worked out what colours I was going to apply to its considerable detail.

The model was primed using a couple of layers of "Two Thin Coats" White Star and washed with some heavily watered-down "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade in order to help all its straps and creases stand out a bit. The elite infantryman's collar, cuffs, waist-band, helmet and turnbacks were given a lick of "Two Thin Coats" Celestial Blue and a splosh of "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade. This colour scheme followed that shown on the 'official' paint-job, and having done a meagre bit of research into the army's uniforms apparently suggests the unit originated in Lower Austria.

"If we are to divert the asteroid which is on a collision course with this planet."

Unlike my Austrian Fusiliers though, I decided against picking out one of the shoulder straps in a different colour - so as to suggest it was connected to the soldier's water bottle, and simply left it plain "Two Thin Coats" White Star. I did however, apply some "Vallejo" Gunmetal and "Citadel" Nuln Oil to the drinking container itself, as well as use a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on the Grenadier's sabre hilt, scabbard tip, ammunition pouch and helmet plate.

Lastly I applied a little "Two Thin Coats" Skulker Yellow and Wyvern Green to the model's plume - in line with the colours used on the "Wargames Foundry" website. These areas were subsequently shaded with "Citadel" Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil respectively. I did also momentarily contemplate trying to 'dot' the dark recesses of the eye sockets. But in the end felt that the figure looked good enough as it was, with his actual eyes overshadowed by his impressive helmet.

"We must warp out of orbit within thirty minutes." 

In addition to my latest Napoleonic test piece I have also completed two more medium asteroids by "Fat Dragon Games". This pair of sizeable space rocks are included in the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set, and were produced using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer before being super-glued onto a 60mm and 70mm round MDF base by "Warbases". 

The duo were primed in "Citadel" Abaddon Black, and base-layered using "Vallejo" Sombre Grey. I then shaded the rocks in "Citadel" Nuln Oil, dry-brushed them with (more) "Vallejo" Sombre Grey, and gave both the asteroids (and their bases) a much lighter dry-brush of Heavy Bluegrey. Finally, the models' stands were washed with "Citadel" Nuln Oil and flocked with a little 2mm tall Chilli Red static grass so I could also use them as scatter terrain for any future Moon/Mars surface battles too...

"Kirk, You Do This..."

"...You'll never sit in the captain's chair again."

This Terran D-3A Destroyer was created using some "Bambu Lab" Matt White PLA (Polylactic Acid) on an A1 Mini 3D Printer, and can be purchased as an STL (Standard Triangle Language) file by "Fat Dragon Games" as part of the company's "Battlefront Valkyrie" Starter Set. The two-piece starship has been printed using a 0.2mm nozzle, with a 0.1mm layer height in order to minimise any striation lines on the finished model.

Somewhat intriguingly, the 'kit' also comes with a rig STL, which allows you to produce a docking bay of sorts that lines up the spacecraft's single engine with the hull. Personally, I didn't think the model required such a device - feeling you could easily align the two parts using just the naked eye, and frustratingly, when I did superglue the vessel together using the rig I actually found I'd positioned the engine slightly off-kilter from where I'd have probably plonked it if doing it manually.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - Three Napoleonic German Grenadiers at various stages of completion

Once assembled, the miniature was undercoated using a couple of licks of "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey and shaded with "Citadel" Nuln Oil. I then patiently dry-brushed it with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Bluegrey, before 'picking out' the warp nacelle on its propulsion unit with a combination of "Scale 75" White Alchemy and "Citadel" Talassar Blue.

Currently I'm planning to use all this range's starships for some homebrew "Star Trek" rules - based upon the Original Series and its subsequent movies, so must confess that this particular sculpt has left me a little bemused due to only having a single warp nacelle. For now I plan to use it as a proxy for the U.S.S. Excelsior under Captain Lawrence H. Styles' command, due to it being disconcertingly larger than the Frigate model which I'll be using for my Constitution-class substitutes. However, as "Fat Dragon Games" continue to produce more designs I may well change my mind...

"Hasbro" WIPs - The Hulkster is just doing up his bootlaces

With so simple a painting subject completed, I have unsurprisingly found plenty of time to make some more progress on a trio of 28mm metal Napoleonic Austrians by "Wargames Foundry". These identical figures from the Newark-based company's blister AN026 German Grenadiers 1805-15 Marching, are arguably showing their age in their casting. But should be reasonably quick to get tabletop ready, now I'm a bit more familiar with all the different details on them.

In addition, I have been lucky enough to acquire an STL scan of the old WWF Hulk Hogan action figure by "Hasbro", so have produced an approximate 40mm scale version using "Elegoo" Water Washable Resin on my Mars 3 Pro 3D Printer. As with the Andre the Giant miniature I own, the detail is rather soft, so I'm planning on just using a few base layers and washes to get the Hulkster ready for a "Wrestlemania III" rematch...